Nine Years. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and sometimes it feels like it was a lifetime away.

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer nine years ago and nine years ago today I was in surgery removing the tumor that was attached to the left side of my thyroid. Little did we know when I went into surgery at 7am that the tumor had also managed to tangle itself around my vocal cords. (I gave my surgeon very specific directions to not damage my vocal cords prior to surgery…and gave him many examples of Grey’s Anatomy episodes where things like that happened.)

In the nine years I’ve had a few health scares including a fear of the cancer spreading and it coming back on the right side of my thyroid. But during that time I also realized how important it is to find doctors that you truly trust. I’ve had a tough time finding doctors that believed me when I said something like “my thyroid is off and I can tell” or “I need my meds increased”. Becoming your own advocate can be difficult but it’s beyond important. Ask questions. Spend time reading online (but not too much…I’m known to WebMD myself into an anxiety attack). And if you aren’t comfortable with your doctor – interview new ones. It’s okay to walk away from a doctor (even if they are at one of the best health systems in the country).